This invention comprises novel apparatus and methods for breaking a web along spaced lines of weakness. Apparatus for breaking a web are known in the art. Gietman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,013 discloses apparatus that breaks a plastic web along spaced perforation lines. The Gietman et al device feeds the web through a haul-in assembly 202 to a tumbler assembly 203. The tumbler assembly 203 comprises a tumbler 225 and stationary guide rolls 217-222. As shown in FIG. 3 of Gietman et al, tumbler 225 rotates in a counterclockwise direction such that spools 226 and 227 stretch, and thus break the web. Stationary guide rolls 217-222 guide the web along the desired path. Tumbler 225 also takes up slack in the web caused by the greater speed of the web through the haul-in assembly 202 as compared to the speed through the winding assembly 204.
In a commercially available embodiment of the Gietman et al device, tumbler 225 has a diameter of at least 5 inches. The tumbler assembly has a first gap element of at least about 1 inch between the haul-in assembly and the tumbler 225 and a second gap element of about 3 inches between the tumbler 225 and the nip formed by rolls 230, 231 of the winding assembly 204. The overall length of the gap along the machine direction, between guide rolls 210 and rolls 230, 231, is about 9 inches. Rolls 217-222 are used to support the web, and to ensure traversal of the web along the desired path for the length of the gap. Further, the nine inch length of the gap directly affects the overall length of Gietman et al's winder 200.